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"grandaddy" pretty much as soon as he met them.
Just one of those people, you know? He was the best at story-telling. All the grandkids used to WANT to go to bed at Grandaddy's house cause he'd tell stories. Even the teens would still sneak in to listen. My one niece was convinced there were three magic kittens who slept under her pillow at grandmother and grandaddy's house. She'd call on the phone to "talk to them".
I really hate my dad died when my adopted son was only 6 months old. He never even met him. My mother was already slipping into senility by then so he never knew her either. My sons basically grew up without Grandparents. My older son remembers them "a little bit". Of course my daughter spent many happy summers with them fishing and gardening and doing nails and "putting on plays" for them with her cousin.
oops - sorry - don't know where that stroll down memory lane came from.
Don't know what advice I can give you. Don't rush it. Give them some time to get to know each other. How old are the kids? How long has it been? What were theh circumstances causing the "stepping" relationship? What's the relationship with the parents - his kid and his new d/s-in-law.
Do they have any common interests? Foster connections - sports, games, hobbies, events. Look for ways to include them in each others lives in positive ways. Get the kids to rake his leaves. HAve them ask him "about when he was little" - when their new step parentn was little.
Above all, if it doesn't happen. Don't take it personally. Hard, yeah, I know. But try and avoid personalizing it for your own and your kids' sake.
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